Case Highlights
Seizure and Charges
Almost ten days ago, content creator WhistlinDiesel, Cody Detweiler, was arrested and charged with tax evasion. It was initially unclear if this was related to his long-burned Ferrari F8 Tributo. Now Detweiler confirms that this particular car was the reason for the arrest.
He appears resolutely determined to confront the Tennessee authorities. Instead of allowing himself to be made an example of, he is trying to turn this into a precedent for the state.
The Essence of the Charges
The state indictment claims that Detweiler and his company WhistlinDiesel LLC evaded paying state sales tax by registering the title for the $400,000 Ferrari to a Montana LLC, rather than paying the tax in Tennessee. Detweiler states that if he had registered the car in the southern state, he would have had to pay about $30,000 in taxes.
He also insists that the Ferrari burned in Texas, was driven through several states, and was legally registered in Montana.
Circumstances of the Seizure
In a YouTube video titled “I Got Arrested For ‘Tax Evasion'”, Detweiler details the seizure, showing officers approaching his house, after which he is handcuffed.
He recounts that he initially thought it was a joke until they showed him the documents. Detweiler added that he had “no idea” under which warrant he was detained and received no prior notice—no letter, no call, no email, no text—demanding tax payment or to resolve a tax dispute.
Lack of Prior Notice
Detweiler also refuted early rumors of a $2 million bail, clarifying that the actual amount was $20,000. He describes his time in jail as unexpectedly calm and jokes that some staff recognized him from his videos. He claims he would have been willing to discuss payment if the state had contacted him before the seizure.
Instead, he is convinced that Tennessee is trying to make an example of him. “They want to create a wave because they know there will be videos… and why wouldn’t that scare people into re-registering their vehicles and paying all that sales tax?” he asks, before adding: “I’m not going to put up with this.”
Future Plans
What does he mean? First, he is moving out of the state and recommends others do the same. “I can’t recommend enough, if you live in Tennessee… buy property in Montana. It’s a great place to live. I’m buying land there.”
Furthermore, he seems quite content that this legal process could drag on, noting that the next part of the court proceedings won’t happen until January at the earliest. While he didn’t go into details about his strategy, it seems that Tennessee may have taken on a task it can’t handle. Time will tell.
Repost from WHISTLINDIESEL (@whistlindiesel)
Source: WhistlinDiesel
This situation highlights the complexity of regulating taxes on luxury cars, especially when owners use legislative peculiarities of different states. Similar cases can have a significant impact on the automotive community, as many owners of expensive vehicles actively seek ways to minimize their tax burden. Detweiler’s legal battle could set an important precedent for future cases related to vehicle registration in different jurisdictions, as well as influence state tax policies.